WO2017153029A1

WO2017153029A1 - Circuit of an electronic control unit

Info

Publication number: WO2017153029A1
Application number: PCT/EP2017/000134
Authority: WO
Inventors: Christian Brammer; Tobias Wustrack
Original assignee: Wabco Gmbh
Priority date: 2016-03-05
Filing date: 2017-02-02
Publication date: 2017-09-14
Also published as: DE102016002821A1; EP3424283A1; EP3424283B1; CN108702841A; US20190014660A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a circuit (1) of an electronic control unit, having a plurality of conductor tracks (2) which are produced in a leadframe design or in a flex film design and at least one conductor track (2) of which has a contact region (4.1) having at least one conductor track contact hole (5.1) for pressing in a contact pin (6) of a connector element (7) or of an electronic component. In order to prevent deformation of the conductor track (2) when pressing the contact pin (6) into the conductor track contact hole (5.1) in the case of a relatively low sheet thickness DLB of the conductor track (2) of 0.8 mm or less, for example, provision is made in this circuit for the contact region (4.1) of the conductor track (2) to be reinforced with an additional supporting plate (9.1), for the supporting plate (9.1) to consist of an electrically conductive metal sheet, for the supporting plate (9.1) to cover the contact region (4) of the conductor track (2), for the supporting plate (9.1) to be provided with a supporting plate contact hole (11.1), for the supporting plate contact hole (11.1) to be arranged coaxially with respect to the conductor track contact hole (5.1), and for the supporting plate (9.1) to be arranged on one side (10) of the conductor track (2) and to be connected to the conductor track (2).

Description

Circuit of an electronic control unit Description

The invention relates to a circuit of an electronic control unit, with a plurality of conductor tracks produced in punched grid construction or in Flexfolienbauweise, of which at least one conductor has a contact area with at least one conductor track contact hole for pressing a contact pin of a plug element or an electronic component.

In electronic control units, such as control units of motor vehicles, over which larger electrical currents are distributed, the interconnects must have correspondingly large cable cross-sections. In addition, the control units should occupy as little space and make optimum use of the available space, which can be achieved by a curved or kinked construction. The tracks of the circuits of electronic control units are therefore often manufactured in stamped grid construction or in Flexfolienbauweise, as they allow by bending, buckling and buckling a flexible, deviating from a flat board shape design.

In a punched grid construction circuit, the conductor tracks are punched out of a metal strip of electrically conductive metal, such as a copper sheet, wherein the conductor tracks are first connected to one another via connecting webs. Subsequently, the interconnects are, for example, partially encapsulated with an electrically non-conductive plastic and thus mechanically interconnected. After curing of the plastic, the connecting webs are punched out, so that the conductor tracks are then electrically separated from one another and can be brought into a suitable shape by bending and bending. In a circuit designed in Flexfolienbauweise the interconnects are, for example, completely punched out of a metal strip of electrically conductive metal and then joined together on both sides by gluing with an electrically non-conductive flexible plastic film. The conductor tracks are thus electrically separated from one another and can be brought into a suitable shape by bending and bending.

For rational assembly of the circuits with connector elements, such as sockets for plugging or plugging cable connectors, and with electronic components, such as transistors, resistors, capacitors and so on, increasingly solderless connectors are used over which the relevant components both mechanically on the relevant track attached as well as electrically connected to this. For this purpose, the interconnects each have at least one contact region with at least one interconnect contact bore for pressing in a contact pin of a plug element or an electronic component.

DE 10 2004 006 575 A1 describes a punched grid construction power distributor in which plug elements with two or three contact pins are pressed into associated contact bores of the printed conductors.

From DE 20 2009 009 933 U1 a executed in punched grid construction circuit of an electronic control unit is known in which the provided connector elements are at least in the socket area bent U-shaped and have two pins on each socket leg for pressing in each case two conductor track contact holes of adjacent tracks ,

In DE 10 2010 039 204 A1 a executed in Flexfolienbauweise circuit of an electronic control unit is described, in which the conductor tracks are reinforced at the contact holes. In a first embodiment, a bushing or a rivet is inserted into a correspondingly enlarged interconnect contact bore. In a second embodiment, a conductor track is encapsulated on the correspondingly enlarged conductor track contact bore in an annular contour with an electrically conductive plastic. The reinforcement of the tracks in the immediate area of the ladder Track contact hole serves to increase the electrical contact area with the contact pins. However, a mechanical stiffening of Kontaktbe rich the interconnects is hardly achieved.

A well-known problem in the assembly of die-cut and flex foil-type circuits is that the contact areas are inadvertently deformed when the contact pins of male and electronic components are pressed into the associated contact bores. This may result in an unfavorable position and inadequate mechanical attachment of the components in question. Likewise, the electrical contact between the conductor track contact holes and the contact pins of the components may be affected. The problem occurs especially when the conductor tracks are punched out of a sheet having a comparatively small thickness of, for example, less than 1 mm.

The present invention is therefore based on the object for a circuit of an electronic control unit of the type mentioned, in which the tracks have a relatively small thickness, to propose a simple and inexpensive to produce and mountable reinforcement of the tracks at the contact areas, by means of a deformation of the Even with a robust press-fitting of the contact pins in the conductor track contact holes conductor tracks is reliably prevented.

A relatively small sheet thickness is understood to be a sheet thickness which is so small that the sheet is comparatively easy to bend and / or can withstand damage due to its flexibility in operation without damage. A relatively small plate thickness in this sense can be less than or equal to 0.8 mm and also be referred to as a film.

This object is achieved by a circuit having the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments and further developments of this circuit are the subject of the dependent claims. The invention is accordingly based on a per se known circuit of an electronic control unit, which has a plurality of conductor tracks produced in stamped grid construction or in Flexfolienbauweise. In this circuit, at least one printed conductor has a contact region with at least one printed conductor contact bore for pressing in a contact pin of a plug element or an electronic component.

In order to prevent a deformation of the conductor tracks during the pressing of the contact pins in the conductor track contact holes at a relatively low sheet thickness of the conductor tracks, for example, 0.8 mm or less, it is provided in this circuit that the contact region of the conductor track is reinforced with an additional support disk in that the support disk consists of an electrically conductive metal sheet, that the support disk covers the contact region of the conductor track, that the support disk is provided with a support disk contact bore, that the support disk contact bore is arranged coaxially to the conductor contact bore, and that the support disk is seated one side of the conductor track is arranged and connected to the conductor track.

Thus, the contact region of the conductor is stiffened, whereby a deformation of the conductor in the region of the conductor-contact bore during pressing of the contact pin is prevented in a simple and cost-effective manner. As a positive side effect, the contact surface for the contact pin is increased by the support disk and thus improves the electrical contact between the conductor track and the plug element or the electronic component. The support disk may be cut or punched out of a correspondingly thick sheet metal and be arranged in identical design on a plurality of contact areas of the circuit.

The support disk is preferably arranged on that side of the conductor track from which the contact pin of the plug element or of the electronic component is inserted into the conductor contact hole. As a result, the support disk is pressed against the conductor during pressing in of the contact pin in the conductor contact hole, so that the connection between the support disk and the conductor can be made less robust. In order to have a high stability and sufficiently stiffen the contact region of the conductor track, the support disk preferably has at least three times the thickness of the conductor track. In such an embodiment, the support plate is sufficiently rigid for a robust pressing of the contact pins.

The support disk is preferably connected to the conductor track by means of a clinch rivet connection (Tox clinch connection). In contrast to a rivet or screw connection, a clinch rivet connection requires no drilling. Compared to a welded or soldered connection, a clinch rivet connection without heat is applied to the components to be connected and without additional materials.

Alternatively, the support disk may also be connected to the conductor track by means of an encapsulation with a plastic. The plastic used may optionally be electrically conductive or non-conductive.

The plastic extrusion coating of the conductor track and of the support disk is preferably of a frame-shaped design and comprises the outer edges of the conductor track and of the support disk in the manner of a clip. As a result, a stable positive connection between the support disk and the conductor is given. In comparison to a likewise possible riveted overmoulding of a plurality of bores, no mounting boring is required for the frame-shaped encapsulation.

In order to avoid buckling of the conductor track in the region of the conductor track contact hole when the contact pin is pressed in, the diameter of the conductor track contact hole in the aforementioned embodiments is preferably increased so much that an electrical connection of the conductor track to the contact pin of the plug element or the electronic component only over the support disk contact hole exists. Due to the relatively large thickness of the support disk, the contact surface of the support disk with the contact pin of the plug element or the electronic component is completely sufficient. According to a further embodiment for connecting the support disk to the conductor track, the support disk can also be connected by means of a sleeve made of an electrically conductive metal or a rivet with the conductor track, which is inserted into the correspondingly enlarged contact holes of the conductor track and the support disk and fixed end. This attachment can be realized, for example, by crimping. By the sleeve or the rivet on the one hand, the mechanical connection between the support disk and the conductor is made, and on the other hand with its or its cylindrical inner surface a relatively large electrical contact surface formed to the contact pin of the male member or the electronic component.

The invention is explained below with reference to four exemplary embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the drawing shows

1 shows a first embodiment of a trained according to the invention contact region of a conductor in a perspective view,

1 a, the contact region of the conductor track according to FIG. 1 in a sectional view,

2 shows a circuit of an electronic control unit with a plurality of conductor tracks and contact areas in a perspective view,

3 shows a second embodiment of a contact region of a printed conductor according to the invention in a perspective view,

3a, the contact region of the conductor track according to FIG. 3 in a sectional view,

4 shows a third embodiment of a contact region of a printed conductor according to the invention in a perspective view, and FIG

4a, the contact region of the conductor track according to FIG. 4 in a sectional view.

FIG. 2 shows a punched-grid-type circuit 1 of an electronic control unit, which comprises a plurality of printed conductors 2, which are electrically separated from one another. The interconnects 2 each have at least one contact region 4 with at least one interconnect contact bore 5 for pressing in a contact pin 6 of a plug element 7 or an electronic component. Below is the Invention explained with reference to the marked in Fig. 2 by a dashed frame 8 contact area 4 of a conductor 2 in three versions.

A first embodiment of a contact region 4.1 of the conductor track 2 according to the invention is shown in FIG. 1 in a perspective view and in FIG. 1 a in a sectional view along the section line AA according to FIG. The conductor 2 is cut or punched out of a sheet metal strip whose thickness D _L B in this embodiment is a maximum of 0.8 mm (DLB ^ 0.8 mm). In order to prevent deformation of the conductor track 2 when inserting the contact pin 6 into the conductor contact bore 5.1 or to enable a robust and yet harmless press-fitting of the contact pin 6 in the conductor contact hole 5.1, the contact area 4.1 of the conductor 2 with an additional Support disk 9.1 reinforced. The support disk 9.1 consists of an electrically conductive metal sheet of comparatively large thickness D _S s, such as a copper sheet, and covers the entire contact area 4.1 of the conductor 2 from. The support disk 9.1 is arranged in this example on the underside 10 of the conductor 2, from which the contact pin 6 of the plug element 7 or the electronic component is inserted into the conductor contact hole 5.1. In addition, the support disk 9.1 has a coaxial to the conductor track contact hole 5.1 arranged, continuous support disk contact hole 1 1.1. In the present case, the support disk 9.1 is connected to the conductor 2 by means of a clinch rivet connection 12 made at two locations. The diameter of the conductor-contact bore 5.1 is so large that an electrical connection of the conductor 2 with the contact pin 6 of the male member 7 or the electronic component is only on the support disk contact hole 1 1.1. In this way, a bulge of the conductor track 2 in the area of the conductor track contact bore 5.1 during insertion of the contact pin 6 is advantageously prevented.

A second embodiment of a contact region 4.2 according to the invention of the conductor track 2 is shown in a perspective view in FIG. 3 and in a sectional view along the section line BB according to FIG. 3 in FIG. The support disk 9.2 is also arranged in this embodiment of the contact region 4.2 on that underside 10 of the conductor 2, from which the contact pin 6 of the plug element 7 or the electrical ronic component is inserted into the interconnect contact bore 5.2, and provided with a positionally correct, ie coaxially to the interconnect contact bore 5.2 arranged support disk contact hole 1 1.2. However, the support disk 9.2 is connected to the conductor 2 by means of an encapsulation 13 made of a plastic. The Kunststoffumsprit- tion 13 of the conductor 2 and the support plate 9.2 is formed like a frame and surrounds the outer edges of the conductor 2 and the support plate 9.2 like a frame. The plastic used may optionally be formed electrically conductive or non-conductive. Also in this embodiment of the contact region 4.2, the diameter of the interconnect contact bore 5.2 is so far increased that an electrical connection of the conductor 2 with the contact pin 6 of the plug element 7 or the electronic component exclusively on the support disk contact hole 1 1 .2 consists.

A third embodiment of a contact region 4.3 of the conductor track 2 according to the invention is shown in FIG. 4 in a perspective view and in FIG. 4 a in a sectional view along the section line C - C according to FIG. 4. The support disk 9.3 is also arranged in this embodiment of the contact region 4.3 on the underside 10 of the conductor 2, from which the contact pin 6 of the plug element 7 or the electronic component is inserted into the interconnect contact bore 5.3, and with a correctly positioned support disk contact hole 1 1.3 provided. However, the support disk 9.3 is connected by means of an electrically conductive metal existing sleeve 14 or a rivet with the conductor 2, which is in the correspondingly extended contact holes 5.3, 1.3 of the track 2 and the support plate 9.3 used and flanged axially end. The electrical connection of the conductor 2 to the contact pin 6 of the plug element 7 or the electronic component in this case consists of the relatively large cylindrical inner surface 15 of the sleeve 14 or the tubular rivet.

Claims

claims

1 . Circuit (1) of an electronic control unit, with a plurality of conductor tracks (2) produced in stamped grid construction or in flex foil construction, of which at least one conductor track (2) has a contact area (4, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3) with at least one track contact hole (5, 5.1 , 5.2, 5.3) for pressing in a contact pin (6) of a plug element (7) or an electronic component, characterized in that the con tact area (4, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3) of the conductor track (2) with an additional support disc (9 , 9.1, 9.2, 9.3) is reinforced, that the support disk (9, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3) consists of an electrically conductive metal sheet, that the support disk (9, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3) the contact area (4) of the conductor track (2 ) covering that the support disk (9, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3) with a support disk contact bore (1, 1 .1, 11.2, 1 1 .3) is provided, that the support disk contact bore (11, 1 1.1, 1 1.2 , 1 1.3) coaxial with the conductor-contact bore (5, 5.1 , 5.2, 5.3) is arranged, and that the support disc (9, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3) on one side (10) of the conductor track (2) is arranged and connected to the conductor track (2).

2. A circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that the support disc (9, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3) on that side (10) of the conductor track (2) is arranged, from which the contact pin (6) of the plug element (7) or of the electronic component (7) in the interconnect contact hole (5, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3) is used.

3. Circuit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the support disc (9, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3) at least three times the thickness (D _L B) of the conductor track (2).

4. Circuit according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the support disc (9.1) by means of a clinch riveting (Tox-Clinchverbindung) (12) with the conductor track (2) is connected.

5. Circuit according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the supporting disc (9.2) by means of an encapsulation (13) with a plastic with the conductor track (2) is connected.

6. Circuit according to claim 5, characterized in that the plastic extrusion

(13) of the conductor track (2) and the support disc (9.2) is formed like a frame and the outer edges of the conductor track (2) and the support disc (9.2) comprises a clip.

7. Circuit according to one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that the diameter of the contact bore (5.1, 5.2) of the conductor track (2) is increased so far that an electrical connection of the conductor track (2) with the contact pin (6) of Plug element (7) or the electronic component (7) only via the contact bore (1 1.1, 1 1 .2) of the support disc (9.1, 9.2) consists.

8. Circuit according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the support disc (9.3) by means of a sleeve made of an electrically conductive metal

(14) or a hollow rivet to the conductor track (2) is connected, which in the correspondingly enlarged contact holes (5.3, 1 1.3) of the conductor track (2) and the support disc (9.3) used and fixed end.